Ways and Means...

I’ve heard lots of people claim that they have wanted, hoped for or been thinking about something for a long period of time. In some cases they may have been working toward or praying about something. They arrogantly assume that God will fulfill their desire because the desire will be “good” for them.

The first thing I’ll say is that, we don’t always know what is good. We may think that we do but, the reality is that we don’t. An example of this is fame but, there are many others. “Celebrities” work sometimes all their lives for fame only to find out that once it’s been achieved, they are slaves to it. Those who have become famous can no longer casually go to the malls and shops any more. Eating out suddenly requires a lot of planning. Spending time with children and Grandchildren can be an ordeal and even dangerous. Fame like so many things in this world may seem “good” but, can have negative consequences that we don’t see until it is too late. Most “famous” individuals have their own bodyguards and/or private security to ensure their safety. It’s very costly to maintain.

“All things work for the good of those who love the Lord…”, “All good things come from the Lord…” and “God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow…” It’s interesting that people are quick to blame God for the negative but, reluctant to praise and thank Him for the positive. If all good things come from the Lord, where do the bad things come from? (I won’t answer that question except to say that it is CLEARLY in the Bible.)

The second thing is that God is not a Santa Clause. It is amazing how many people ignore or deny the existence of God until they want something. They immediately propose deals with God in exchange for the thing(s) they want. The Lord is under no obligation to bless us, bestow anything on us nor give us anything at all. The fact that God sent His ONLY Son, the Lord Jesus to die on the cross for OUR sins, is enough. The Lord loves us and wants what is best for us but, that doesn’t mean that He fulfills our every wish or desire like some sort of genie. I would refer them to compare their wants/desires with James chapter 3 to determine if the desire(s) and/or want(s) conform to God’s righteous will.

Just because something SEEMS “good” to us does not mean that it is good nor that it is from the Lord. If you look at Eve in the garden, she thought that the fruit looked “good” but, eating the fruit had very negative consequences. In the same way, what looks “good” to us may in fact not be “good”. The thing that we think came from God may have actually come from the devil for our destruction. If we go back to the Garden of Eden, we see that it was not God nor His angels that tempted Eve but, rather the devil. The instructions that God gave Adam and Eve were for their benefit rather than their destruction. As it turned out, Adam and Eve listened to the devil rather than God and paid the price for their disobedience.

Another assumption is that God is subservient to our wishes. In other words, people assume that God is required to follow and fulfill their wishes. As if the God of the Universe is at their beck and call. God created us, we did not create Him!